Shepherd's Pie

The cover of the Tri-City Herald's Food & Wine section March 19 will feature glazes to enhance and dress up a ham. Inside you'll find more recipes plus buying, cooking and health tips on a variety of food-related subjects. For past food stores and recipes visit www.tri-cityherald.com/lifestyles/food/.

In a large skillet over medium, heat the oil until it shimmers. Crumble the ground beef or turkey into the pan and saute, stirring occasionally until the meat no longer looks raw, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, peas and green beans. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and all the vegetables are hot, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and wine, if using, and bring to a simmer.

Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring from time to time, until the sauce has thickened, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley and oregano or thyme.

Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Spoon or pipe the potatoes into an even layer that completely covers the meat. Bake until the potatoes are very hot and have a light golden crust, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.